Lions Over All!
by DarthRushy
Summary: Zira's plan works, and Kion is introduced into the Outsiders' pride and ways. Falling in love with Vitani, he gradually abandons his friends and family to follow Scar's pawprints... and become King. Inspired by the "Lions Over All" song.
1. Chapter 1

"Lions! Lions over all!"

 _It made so much sense._ The more Kion listened, the harder it became to deny that what Zira was saying was undeniably true. Every time a new lion prince was born, every animal bowed before Pride Rock. As the fiercest of predators, they wielded the power to make all the rules.

The lioness circling Kion might've been scraggly and malevolent, but she had a royal gait and her eyes burned with life. She _had_ to live! She was simply... superior.

"But what about the hyenas?!" Kion asked. "If you take their water hole away from them, they'll die!"

Zira scoffed. "That's the Circle of Life, dear! If the antelope were tougher than you are, they wouldn't think twice about taking your water hole! Think of the likes of Makuu and the leopards. It's always a fight and there's always a winner." She patted Kion's head. "You're so young... be _kind-"_ she said bitterly. "-with them, then, if you think that will solve the situation, but the water hole belongs to us! We've claimed the Outlands for our pride!"

"Alright." Kion nodded and smiled. "I'll go tell Jasiri she has to go someplace else. We might find another home for them in the Outlands. "

As she followed Kion outside of the little cave, she couldn't resist smirking. That cub was going to be more than a little useful in her plot to reclaim her mate's territory from Simba. Now was the most delicate time, when she had to change his mind enough for him to be agree to join the Outsiders' pride. And she knew exactly how.

* * *

"Kion!" Jasiri casually met him with a bouncy step, leaving Nuka to eat the dust. "What happened, what did she say?"

Zira spoke before the lion cub could even think of changing his mind.: "Kion and I have reached an agreement." She gave the hyena a gleeful, patronising smile, causing her to scowl.

"And what's that?" Jasiri demanded.

"We agreed that the watering hole belongs to lions... _only_." her pleasant voice turned harsh and she turned her back on the hyena.

"What!?" Jasiri yelled in shock, looking at Kion with an accusing expression. The lion cub couldn't face her eyes. Why was something that he knew to be right in his head so wrong in his heart? "No, Jasiri, uh..." he fumbled, trying to find words. Fortunately, Zira was there to help.

The lioness lowered her head next to Kion's and gave him some advice: "Don't lose your heart now, Kion. They all want something, don't they, all the nagging animals in the kingdom. If you don't stand your ground now, they'll _eat_ _you_."

Jasiri restrained herself from launching at the snake-tongued villain, instead pleading with her friend to make him see reason. "That's not true and you know it, Kion! You're the leader of the Lion Guard..."

"-meant to protect the Pridelanders from the likes of you!" Zira spat back. "I'm the head of my pride and this is my land!"

"She's right, Jasiri. You need to back off!" Kion decided. "You and your hyena clan can find another home in the Pride Lands..."

The hyena gave Kion a withering look. "We don't want another home! We just want back what's always been ours. Why is that so hard for you stinking lions to understand?!" she screamed, and ran off with tears in her eyes. If this had been a case of Zira not submitting, she would've been fine with it... angry, but fine. But Kion agreeing with her?! That was humiliating. So she'd been right all along. The lions' kindness only extended to those who didn't touch their power.

* * *

"Well done, Kion! Her attitude is... so regrettable." Zira said, as her family surrounded her and Kion. The latter sighed. "I've got to get back to the Pride Lands and tell my dad what happened."

Zira shrugged. "Must you? I thought you were the leader of the Lion Guard." she spoke in that pleasant voice again. "These trivial matters do not concern a lion who's got a _whole_ kingdom to manage. Let it be, and come spend the day with us. I'm sure Vitani could show you around."

On command, the beige cub took up a position next to Kion and grinned at him. "Can't wait to see what you're made of, Pridelander!" Kion couldn't help, but crack a smile. Maybe these Outsiders really weren't so mean after all...


	2. Chapter 2

After Zira and her lionesses left Kion and Vitani alone(ostensibly to go hunting), the latter ran off. "Come on, follow me!" she called and Kion chased her to the rock ceiling of the Outsiders' cave, which she was able to climb within seconds, having grown up here. Trying to follow her as best as he could, Kion managed to drag himself up to the top fairly quickly, at which point Vitani took off again, to the edge.

"Whoa, slow down, what are you doing-?" Kion said, running after her, until Vitani suddenly ducked, causing her to trip over her, roll onto the rocks and then off the cliff onto the dusty ground a few meters below. "Ow!" he said, trying to get up on his shaking limbs. "That wasn't funny, Vitani!"

"Wasn't meant to be!" the little cub exclaimed and ran back down from the cliff, to where Kion was. "I just wanted to see how good your skills were."

Kion gave her a confused look. "My skills? What have my skills got to do with anything?"

Vitani raised an eyebrow. "How am I supposed to get to know you if I can't tell how you fight?" Once more, without any warning, she tackled him and tried to pin him down. Instinctively, Kion shoved the little lioness off of him, causing Vitani to slam into the ground hard and lose her breath.

"I'm sorry!" Kion immediately shouted, and tried to help her up, but Vitani only slapped him for it. "That... was... awesome!" she gasped. "Don't apologise!"

Kion frowned. "You're okay with this? I shouldn't have used my full strength."

"Why not?" Vitani frowned, genuinely curious.

"Because you got hurt." Kion said, concerned. However, the lioness cub didn't seem to be bothered at all, merely asking: "So?"

Kion didn't know what to reply.

"I get hurt all the time, that's how I learn new things." Vitani explained.

"That's no way to learn!" Kion scowled, not liking this. "I mean, what happens if something goes wrong, and you get _really_ hurt?"

Vitani shrugged. "That must mean you're _really_ good." Seeing that Kion was not convinced, however, she pressed on, eager to make him see it her way. "Besides, the more we fight, the more we learn how to be careful. That's what mother says! So, it all works out."

"I guess..." Kion said. It was a strange pride, that was sure. Their feral nature was at odds with everything his father had taught him, but he couldn't deny liking them more and more for it. He knew these were lions who'd let him be whatever he wanted to be, simply because he was one of them.

* * *

Having discovered the presence of a rogue lion pride living in the Outlands from Rafiki, the Lion Guard stormed into the canyons to find their leader, quickly running into Jasiri, who was completely furious.

"Lion Guard? What are _you_ doing here?!" she snapped, surprising the Guard with the venom in her tone.

"We're... looking for Kion." Fuli said, not sure why Jasiri was so upset at them. "We think he might be in trouble, do you know where he is?"

Jasiri laughed bitterly. "Yes... he's joined Zira and her family."

"Zira?!" the Lion Guard all spurted out in unison. "Hapana!" Ono shouted in shock. "Rafiki was right!"

"You know Zira?" Jasiri asked, before swatting herself on the head. "Well, of course you do! And so did Kion, didn't he?! Was he even going to try to give us back our watering hole?!"

"Relax, Jasiri. We only heard about her now!" Beshte explained calmly.

"And Kion wouldn't want to be any part of her family!" Fuli insisted.

Jasiri wasn't convinced. "That's what I would've thought as well... until I saw him with them. They must be trying to pull him over to their side, to _Scar_ 's side, and it's working!" she said, now with despair in her voice.

"Not if the Lion Guard has anything to say about it!" Bunga decided.

* * *

Hiding behind a bush, Kion and Vitani peeked through the branches to see Kovu playing a game of whack-a-mole with his grumpy, muttering older brother.

"Alright..." Vitani said and without noticing, rested her paw on Kion's back. "Let's pretend Nuka's a predator... if we can. And Kovu's the prey. We work together. I'll hold down Nuka for you, and you have to get Kovu."

"Wait... we haven't even told them what we're gonna do!" Kion protested.

Vitani chuckled. "Do you tell your prey you're gonna eat them? If Kovu gives you trouble, just bite him. Always worked for me! Alright... go!" Moving fast and making little noise with her soft paws, Vitani was able to circle around Kovu and Nuka without either of them noticing and hide behind a gnarled tree. From there, she winked at Kion and lunged at Nuka with her claws extended, grabbing onto his head with a grin on her face. As Nuka flailed around, screaming, Kovu merely laughed until Kion knocked him down.

Zira's son wasn't just hers by name though, and quickly grabbed onto Kion's neck, pulling him down as well. The two wrestled in the dust for control. "Get off of me!" Kovu yelled at him and punched him in the face, reminding the lion prince that this pride has no concept of games. He could be the better lion, as he always tried to be in the Pride Lands... but he wasn't in the Pride Lands and this was a different pride with different laws... surely it didn't hurt to fight back, just for once?

And so Kion mimicked Vitani's movement and rammed into Kovu again and then pushed his paw underneath Kovu's chin with the claws extended. The brown cub gargled slightly and raised his paws in surrender. Kion smirked victoriously.

Suddenly, a harsh female voice burst the bubble. "WHAT is happening here?" Zira's group had returned. As if electrified, Kion instantly jumped away from Kovu and tried to explain his actions: "We got into a fight! It was my fault-"

"-YOUR FAULT?!" Zira screamed. "YOUR FAULT?! YOU... _WON_!" Suddenly, her voice took on a much quieter, almost motherly tone as she glared at Kovu, who shrunk into a terrified, brown ball of fur. "And you, my little prince... you lost. How? LOOK AT ME!"

Kovu's head jittered upwards. "I-... he... he got me by surprise, that's all."

"Got you by surprise!" Zira mocked him and turned her head towards one of her lionesses. "You! Take him and beat that weakness out of him in whatever way you like. I want him ready for a challenge tonight!"

Kovu gulped as he left with the lioness, to what Kion hoped was fair training. His view was then blocked by Zira, who looked at him with a terrifyingly fond expression. "You've got some strength in you, haven't you? What do you think, Vitani?"  
Vitani walked towards them. "Oh, he's a natural. Once you get past all the Pridelander in him, he'd be a good fighter."

"I'm not here to be a good fighter!" Kion said firmly. "I've already been here long enough. It's time I go back to my Guard."

Zira's eyes widened. "You'll meet them again sooner than you think, dear. They're on their way here, and they've brought the hyena. Seems like they don't respect the decision you made tonight."

Kion's face turned fierce. "I'll make them accept it."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Just wanted to say that I personally LOVED "Lions Of The Outlands"(easily the best episode so far). If I had to nitpick, they underused Vitani and the whole racing subplot was completely pointless, but still... they mostly exceeded all of my expectations with it. What did you guys think of it(and my chapter, obviously)?_

 _*Faith - All of that is definitely coming..._

 _*FanficFan920 - Can you be more specific? Also, Kiara will definitely appear at some point, as I plan to adapt the second film for this._

 _*CandyCane21 - Here you go! Thanks for the kind words!_

 _*TLKGuard - A little bit, maybe, but compared with other Lion Guard episodes, it was amazing. I think they did the best they could, plot-wise._

 _*Guest - We shall see, won't we...?_

 _*Gracekim1 - It's the kind of new development I'd like to see in the series... but then again, this isn't serialised television._

 _*Guest - :D_


	3. Chapter 3

Kion gulped as Zira's lionesses escorted the rather peeved-off Lion Guard and Jasiri into the clearing. He hated being on the opposite side of his closest friends and teammates. They'd had disagreements before, of course, that's just life. But somehow, this felt different. Almost like a betrayal. Kion knew that supporting this fierce pride over Jasiri's kindhearted group of hyenas would seem rather odd to them, but he wouldn't go back on his word so easily either.

"Welcome, Lion Guard!" Zira pleasantly announced. "It's _such_ an honor to be entertaining guests of your... caliber." Kion wasn't sure he liked the dark looks she was giving his team. Had the situation been different, he didn't doubt the volatile lioness would've ripped them to shreds.

Fuli could tell as much. "I'm sure you are..." she said coldly and then hissed at Kion. "What are you doing?!"

"Making a decision. You don't have to like it, Fuli!" he tried to explain.

The cheetah couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Like it? _Like it_?! Kion, you're letting these rogues steal Jasiri's territory just because they're lions? What is the matter with you?!"

"After all, you were the one who helped Badili get his tree back." Ono reminded him. "It's a bit hypocritical, is all I'm saying."

Vitani's fur bristled with fury and she leaped between Kion and the Guard. "Your leader said he made his decision!" she snarled at Fuli. "Now shut your mouth." She was almost shaking with anger. With Zira as her mother, Vitani had been taught to respect authority before she even learned to eat. The idea of an argument between leader and follower was so... so... _wrong._ It didn't make any sense to her, and she didn't like it one little bit. Vitani half-wished the cheetah was an Outsider, just so she could see her mother's reaction. Kion obviously wasn't used to being firm with this silly band.

Fuli squinted her eyes, and the little honey badger gave an annoying laugh. "Hey, who got up on the wrong side of the den today?" he joked.

"Vitani, calm down!" Kion placed a paw on her shoulder and looked into her purple eyes. "I can handle this." he reassured her. Vitani smiled and moved behind him.

Kion faced his hyena friend. "Jasiri, it's part of a lion's job to put lions first sometimes. Fighting with other prides that aren't even on our territory isn't what we do." This all sounded very legitimate in his head, but he left out the part where he didn't really want to fight Zira's pride anyway. At least not so soon. He wanted to find out more about them...

"Except that this isn't another pride." Jasiri scowled. "Do you know who these lions are?"

Kion raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"In the Lion Guard's cave, Rafiki showed us who they are. Scar's followers!" Beshte revealed.

Kion's jaw dropped and he turned around. "What?"

Zira wasn't fussed at all. "And what if we are? What do you know of Scar?!"  
"I know he was evil!" Kion said loudly. "I know he never got the throne by right!"  
"And who told you that?!" Zira demanded.

"My father..."

Jasiri came forward with a suggestion. "Well, then, why don't we go talk to Simba? Let him solve this."

Zira shrugged. "Yes, why don't you? Just remember, Kion... _you're always welcome here._ "

Kion wasn't quite sure how to answer to that, so instead he simply nodded. "Alright. We'll go then." he said and began to walk out of the canyon with his Guard.

As he was about to leave the clearing, he glanced back, to see that Zira's pride had already completely dispersed, not even bothering to check whether they would leave for real. The only sounds came from Nuka's ramblings to his sister. Vitani caught Kion's glance and waved at him. The lion cub returned the gesture, with a nervous, uncertain grin. Why did he like her so much?

* * *

Zira approached her cubs... two of them, since Kovu was spending the rest of the day in training. "Well done, Vitani." Her daughter grinned and Nuka rolled his eyes. Their mother did not praise them often(never, in Nuka's case), but when she did, it mattered more than anything in the world to them. Vitani decided to push her luck and use her good mood whilst it lasted.

"Kion's a really good fighter, mother. We could use him."

"Oh yeah, sure, that's gonna happen. Simba won't mind that at all." Nuka mocked her.

Zira turned her head towards Nuka, who immediately began to fidget as her mother's attention went on her. "Begone." Cackling nervously, Nuka wandered off, bowing his head. Zira paused for a moment, and the slighest hint of a grin formed on her face as she looked down at Vitani. "You... care for him?"

"Care? No, I..." Vitani wasn't really sure what she was supposed to say. She liked Kion. He was a little soft, like all the Pridelanders, but she could see the thrill in his eyes when they had trained together. She lived for that thrill. To fight for her life like an _animal_. Survival of the fittest, as her mother called it. But she seemed to be the only one in the pride to actually enjoy this life, until now. Was that 'caring' caring, though?

Zira knew her better than she knew. "You do! I can see it. Well, good. Because it's going to be your duty to bring him to us. I'm sending you to the Pride Lands, Vitani, on a mission! Find Kion and use whatever resources available to convince him to come back to the Outlands. The seed of doubt has been planted in his head and it'll be up to you to water the crop. Do I make myself clear?"

Vitani took a military stance. "Yes, mother."

As she ran off, Zira's grin widened out, giving her an insane, delirious look. "Yes... the perfect revenge. Like you killed your uncle, so shall your son kill you."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _I was very touched by all the reviews demanding the next chapter. Fortunately, it'll be the holidays soon, and I can focus more on writing! I also noticed that a lot of you thought Kion went over to Zira's side way too fast. Rest assured, this will NOT happen overnight. These are mere baby steps._

 _*Gboy123 - Possibly, but in any case, they won't have a major role._

 _*werewolf dj - You and me both._

 _*Money100 - Thank you!_

 _*Sirban - Aww, that's very kind of you._

 _*Faith - 1. Glad to hear it. I can't spoil the next few chapters! 2. I'm really glad they got "Never Roar Again" out, I was afraid they would just keep it hidden forever. 3. Sort of. I mean, I love listening to other people's thoughts, but I have a very firm idea of where this story in particular is going. However, at this very moment I actually have a prompt contest going for my other story, Mkuu Na Ombaomba._

 _*STR2D3PO - I think the idea is that Kovu and Kiara didn't meet again until Kovu rescues her from the fire. They could be saving it for another episode, though._

 _*FanficFan920 - You're definitely right about that, and there will be plenty of contemplation... as for your story, I'm afraid I'm just not a huge fan of humans in The Lion King._

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - Yep._

 _*All Hail King Scar - I felt it was a necessary step to separate this story from the episode straight away. However, Kion's not converted yet as such._

 _*Revan Alek Shan and dale . cameronii . 9 - Are you guys the same person or something? Because your reviews are identical, lol._


	4. Chapter 4

As Kion and the Lion Guard reached the watering hole on their way home to Pride Rock, a hissing sound reached the lion cub's ears.

"Psst!"

Kion looked around, and saw a small paw with extended claws waving from the bush. He rolled his eyes and turned towards his friends. "Why don't you guys go on ahead, I'll have a drink." he said.

Fuli, Ono and Jasiri shared concerned glances, making Kion chuckle. "Come on, you guys could catch me if I made a break for it. I'll be with you in a minute."

"Okay, Kion." Ono said and took to the skies.

"Don't get lost!" Fuli added, but with a bemused smile to let Kion know she wasn't serious.

Soon enough, the Lion Guard had gotten out of sight and an exasperated Vitani emerged, brushing thorns off of her messy fur. "Your pride are like a horde of babysitters!" she complained.

Kion frowned. "Vitani, what are you doing here?! What happens if somebody sees you?"

Vitani proudly puffed her chest. "Nobody's good enough to find me. I managed to follow the Guard all the way out here without being spotted. I was actually kind of hoping you would, but then, clearly you need more training."

The lion prince shook his head. "You must be crazy."

"Crazy good, you mean!" Vitani laughed. She didn't often get the chance to show off, and now relished every second of it. "But you're off to go get brainwashed into hating me." she finished with a cynical shrug.

"That's not what it's like!" Kion protested. However, an idea quickly sprang to his mind. "Why don't you come with me and talk to my dad?"

For the first time since Kion met her, Vitani seemed to be thrown off her guard. "M-me? Talk to Simba? Why would he want to talk to me?" she asked nervously.

"Because he'd want to see that not everyone in your pride is evil like Scar. Come, I'll introduce you." Kion said reassuringly and began to walk towards Pride Rock, but Vitani didn't follow, an argument going through her head. She wasn't really sure how far her mother wanted her to go, but meeting Simba was probably not part of the plan. Maybe she could kill him somehow there and then? It would be hard, but not impossible, she still had her claws after all.

"Vitani?"

The lioness looked up and grinned. "Alrighty then."

* * *

Simba looked stoic as Kion and Vitani entered the Pride Rock den together. Jasiri was there as well, nervously sitting next to the King. Vitani's training told her to look around and analyse the surrounding area to work out a plan of attack, but she was completely captivated by the Lion King. It's not every day that you get to meet your pride's mortal enemy. As they got closer to the towering figure with a fearsome mass of red mane, she quickly forgot her entire purpose here.

Kion cleared his throat. "Hi, dad."

"Kion. Who's the cub?" Simba asked, not recognising the little female at all.

"My name's Vitani." Vitani interjected bravely before Kion could say anything and walked in front of the King, looking up. "I'm Zira's daughter."

Simba paused, the shock evident on his face.  
"You're a long way from home." he finally said. Kion gave his father a pleading gaze.

"Dad, please hear us out!"

" _Speaking_ of being too far away from home..." Simba's voice rose and he gave Kion a firm look. "Your friends told me about your misadventures in the Outlands, and your decision to favor Zira and her exiles over Jasiri's clan."  
"They won the territory fair and square." Kion insisted. "And they're lions! I thought we were kind of in charge."

A scowl formed on Simba's lips and he began to wonder... "Tell me, Kion, why did you bring this cub with you?"

"This cub has a name!" Vitani snarled. "And nobody brought me here, I came here on my own to see Kion!" Her initial awe began to subside and once again, dark thoughts took over.

"You're not the first child of Zira to cross over." Simba told her. "I would've thought your mother had learned from that occasion. You can go safely this time. Go home, and ask your brother Kovu to tell you about his own adventure."

Seeing that neither Kion nor Simba were willing to argue in front of her, Vitani decided it was best to take Simba's advice before he changes his mind. As she walked out however, something pulled her back and Vitani lost her balance and fell onto the stone floor. Turning around, she realised to her humiliation that her tail had gotten entangled with Kion's without either of them noticing. The two nervously laughed and freed one another. "See ya around, Kion!" Vitani coyly said, daring Simba's patience.

Despite this charming farewell, Kion practically glowered as he confronted his father once more. "Dad..."

"No. This will be the end of it!" Simba snapped. Even now, the memories of Scar's terrible rule haunted him and he had no patience for anything that would remind him of that. This relationship between Kion and the Outsiders had to be snuffed out before it could take root. "I will send your mother's huntresses to ensure that Zira keeps her bloody claws away from the hyenas' territory. Until then, you're not allowed to leave Pride Rock."

"That was MY decision, not yours!" Kion lashed out. "You don't have the right to mess with animals outside of the Pride Lands anyway!"

"Oh, like you just did, my son?" Simba pointed out his hypocrisy. "What I'm doing is no different than what you did, except I actually know who I'm dealing with!" His voice softened. "You've already accomplished far more than I ever did at your age. But don't forget, you're still a cub. _Trust me._ "

Kion frowned, but came to a realisation... "Alright." he said and melted his father's heart with the cheeky family grin. As the two hugged, Kion took in the ingenuity of his plan: _I can trust him to let the hyenas keep their stupid waterhole... but as soon as I'm out of here, I can go see the other pride again._

* * *

 **Author's** **Note:** _Is anyone else really excited about the next season of The Lion Guard? Apparently, it's going to be a lot darker and set during the dry season of the Pride Lands. Seems like they're planning to take the show to another level. Maybe even a two-parter episode? I'd love that._

 _I'd like to give a shout-out to Lionesscreator's "You, Me and Ingine", a fantastic romantic tale where Simba and Nala's upcoming marriage is interfered by a jealous lioness... it gave me the inspiration for this comeback. It hasn't got nearly enough reviews so go check it out and give her some praise, she's way better than I am(*covers mouth quickly not to lose all readers*)._

 _*All Hail King Scar - ... and if he does?_

 _*FanficFan920 - I know, I know, but I just like having everyone from the same world. The animal community, and how it's translated in the LK universe fascinates me._

 _*Faith - To be honest, I've sort of forgotten that Nuka isn't officially Scar's son. It's one of those things(like the Kopa-Vitani love story) that just sort of solidifies into the canon over time._

 _*nightmaster000 - I hope I'm on a roll!_

 _*CandyCane21 - Seems like you got exactly what you wanted... well, half of it anyway, but the other half is sure to come too. :D_

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - Done!_

 _*DreamOfHell - Patience you must have..._

 _*Flyg0n - I had the same idea after seeing the episode and I was so sure somebody would have written this kind of story, but nope! If you need something done, just do it yourself, I suppose._

 _*SirBan - Oh yes..._

 _*The Open Writer - I'm loving your enthusiasm. YES, this story will continue!_

 _*kingscar4 - They most certainly are._

 _*TiifuxKion FAN - I kind of ship Vitani with everybody... she used to be my crush. :)_

 _*Korrasami 88 - The story description kind of gives that one away lol..._

 _*Gracekim1 - I do love interacting with my reviewers! I'll remember your offer if I should run into a writer's block. I do have an endgoal planned out for this story, but the middle part is always the hardest._

 _*Guest - We shall see, won't we?_


	5. Chapter 5

"Mzingo?! MZINGO!"

Using her claws, Vitani climbed up the vultures' tree near the canyon that marked the beginning of the Outlands, and feebly shook the heavy branches.

"Come on now, don't be a hyena! Get out of there!" She shook the branches some more and swayed to rock the tree.

Finally, a self-righteous, uppity voice squawked: "The parliament is having a very productive nap, young Vitani. Make an appointment."

"Oh, give me a break!" Vitani huffed. "Mzingo, come down here now or I'll tear every leaf off of this tree!" With a melodramatic sigh, Mzingo hopped out from underneath the canopy, looking slightly ruffled from sleep.

"Yes, well, what is it?" the vulture muttered irritatedly.

Vitani told him the truth about her mission. She knew that her mother wouldn't allow her back home until the mission was complete(it was this way with _every_ member of their Pride) and so she had to accelerate her endeavour, firstly to prevent Simba from changing Kion's mind and secondly because her time in the Pride Lands was limited. Sooner or later, someone would notice her and news of her continued presence in forbidden territory would get Simba's attention. And that time he would make sure she physically got home.

Thus, Vitani needed an ally to talk to Kion for her and get him to come to her as soon as possible. Mzingo fitted perfectly: he and his vultures often traded with anyone alive in the Outlands.

The aforementioned devious bird tapped his right wing against his beak in a pondering fashion. "Let me see if I understand this correctly: you want me to invite Kion to a private meeting between just the two of you, wherein you will introduce Kion to your life and convince him to come to your home with you?"

"Yes!"

Mzingo shrugged. "Oh, so I'm a cupid now, am I? Wonderful."

Vitani shook her head, not understanding. "Just do exactly as I say..."

* * *

Under home arrest for two days now, Kion couldn't do much besides strut around in the den. He was bored to tears: the lionesses were still out dealing with Zira's pride in the Outlands, Nala had taken the cubs to another training session and his father had went on a trip for some king business. Whilst the Lion Guard still had to patrol even without him, Bunga had offered to stay behind and keep him company.

It only took Kion a few minutes to realise however, that he ached for an entirely different sort of company. Usually, whenever he got upset, he would simply put it behind him as his parents had taught him and move on, but now, he kept thinking back to Vitani and her pride, and how simply and logically they lived. They wouldn't just ignore their anger, they'd act upon it. Why else was it there?!

So he had asked Bunga to train with him, which the badger was happy to do(though confused as to why anyone would spend free time on it), at least until Kion easily swatted him into the den walls.

"Ow!" Bunga yelped for what seemed like the hundredth time and rubbed his back. "Okay, that really hurt!"

Kion grinned. "It's how you learn new things." he said in a cheerful tone.

"Or get hurt." Bunga tried to stand up, but had a dizzy spell and fell onto the dusty floor again after staggering for a bit. "Honey badger down. Need a medic! Waaaah!"

" _I_ win!" Kion declared self-adoringly, thumping his chest with his paw. "Or at least I would if I actually had somebody to fight with. Why don't you take a day off, hang out with Timon and Pumbaa?"

Bunga crawled onto a rock. "Yeah, I'll think about it. When I don't feel like I was stepped on by an elephant."

Kion sighed mentally. He didn't want to think ill of any of his friends, but he knew he'd have had much more fun sparring with the Outsiders and really putting himself to the test, rather than playing games fit for newborns. His trip had really opened his eyes to how coddled the animals here were. Kion left the den and walked up to the cliff of Pride Rock, where his father usually stood on ceremonial occasions and slumped to the ground, resting his head on his elbows. He wished Simba was back already. In spite of their disagreements, and partially because of it, he was eager to hear what his father had planned on telling him tonight when he returned, about Scar and his followers. Kion realised that despite hearing so much about Scar, it had never really occurred to him to ask what kind of lion he'd been like and why his supporters were so devoted to him that they'd abandon their rightful king.

"Kion!"

The cub looked up and blinked, when the sunlight shone into his eyes. "Who's there?" he shouted into the sky. Suddenly, he was tapped on the shoulder. Instinct kicked in and he jumped behind, very nearly tumbling over the edge to a nasty death.  
Mzingo had landed right behind him without the cub even noticing. That annoyed Kion more than the near fall itself. He was supposed to be the fiercest in the Pride Lands! No wonder Vitani thought he needed more training...

"What are you trying to do, kill me?" Kion snarled at Mzingo. The two weren't exactly on friendly terms as Mzingo seemed to have some rivalry with Fuli that had already nearly cost her life twice.

Mzingo seemed unapologetic. "You'd make a fine meal. But no, actually, I bring a message from our charming acquintance, Vitani."

A bubble seemed to form inside Kion, making him feel light and bouncy. "Vitani? She's okay?" Part of him had been worried that, even though the lionesses would never hurt a cub, something might still happen to her when they fought off Zira's pride. After all, she was _very_ aggressive.

"She's fine." Mzingo said casually. "Why wouldn't she be? She's in the Pride Lands."

Kion's jaw dropped. "In-in the Pride Lands? You mean she never left?"

"Not as far as I know. She asked me to tell you - and I might add, she insinuated that there was food here for me - that she wants to meet with you in secret at a place called Hakuna Matata Falls."

"Hakuna Mat-? But that's where Timon and Pumbaa live!"

Mzingo scoffed. "I think she said something about getting them out of the way. Now unless there's anything else, I'd like my reward." Kion waved him off. "Yeah, sure, our pantry's hidden behind Pride Rock, Bunga will show you where it is."

As Mzingo sauntered away, Kion's eyes turned back to the horizon. His father would be back today... could he make it to there and back again before the King noticed he was gone?

- _I can't break a promise._

 _-It won't matter if you do it once._

 _-Yes it will._

 _-Come on now, the sooner you go, the sooner you get back. You can tell Simba that you were responding to a call for help. You'll figure it out along the way._

 _-Lie to my dad?_

 _-You'll be an adult soon. You don't need him to protect you from the Outsiders!_

What was more important... hearing out what the King truly had to say about the Outsiders, or seeing Vitani again and jumping into dark waters?

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Is there anything about the Lion Guard show that you dislike? Just curious..._

 _*CandyCane21 - First of all, ADORABLE profile pic. Kiara will probably come into play soon enough as the events of LK 2 begin to take place._

 _*Revan Alek Shan - I was so pissed when they had almost no interaction on the show, lol._

 _*STR2D3PO - And me..._

 _*Flyg0n - I strive to write about 1000 words per chapter at minimum. It just works for me. I like taking about 1-3 days with one chapter. My longest has been 7000 words, which I wrote for the whole of last December as a special Christmas chapter for another LK story. It was quite a challenge._

 _*Faith - I'm not really sure that we'll see the Outsiders again(though I'd dearly love to) since they seem to end up exactly where they were in LK 2 at the end of the episode._

 _*Guest - Who's your first?_

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - Coming, coming!_


	6. Chapter 6

Vitani paced back and forth over a mossy, rotting log near a small waterfall in the jungle. She'd heard from one of the many thirsty lionesses of her pride that the sound of water running free was the most relaxing and beautiful sound there is. However, to be honest... once she'd filled her belly with the (admittedly nice and clear) water, the noise was just irritating, as she feared she might miss somebody approaching, whether they be Kion or someone else.

Once again, she checked over all the paths that led to the clearing, but there was nothing gold or red to be seen. "Hmph." she scoffed. Perhaps she'd overestimated Kion's enthusiasm. He was, after all, trained to be loyal to his father first. She couldn't really imagine disobeying Zira's orders either if he invited her to.

Just as she was prepared to leave, however, she heard a strange stretching sound up in the trees, as if a vine had been pulled, followed by a whoosh. "Who's there?!" she demanded, shortly before something crashed into her, instantly forcing her against the ground and knocking the breath out of the cub. Victoriously, Kion stood up, resting his front paws on Vitani's back like a predator over a particularly nice kill.  
"HA-ha!" Kion growled. "Gotcha." He pressed a paw on his chest. "And that is why I'm the fiercest animal in the Pride Lands!"

Vitani rolled her eyes, but refrained from easily knocking him into the pond with her hind legs. If he had an ego, she reasoned, then feeding it was not such a bad idea.  
"Oh, I _loved_ it!" she said and hugged him as soon as she got up. "You're really good at stealth."

Kion was slightly taken off guard by the amount of attention Vitani was giving him and during the hug, couldn't help but notice that for a cub with a rough voice and a tough attitude, she had the most amazingly fluffy, girly fur ever. Too soon, the hug ended, leaving Kion beaming just as Vitani had intended.

 _Now he definitely believes he's awesome._ she thought.

 _Wow, she's awesome._ Kion thought.

"So..." Vitani said tentatively. "What convinced you to show up? I know your dad wouldn't like..."

Kion interrupted her. "Never mind about my dad. I came because you called. What I'm curious to know is, why are you still in the Pride Lands?"

"I actually came here to deliver a message from my mother. She says she'd welcome you back into the Outlands... just so you could hear her side of the story. You know, Scar and the war and all that." Vitani vaguely gestured with her paw. To tell the truth, she'd never really cared much for all of that. She fought because she wanted her pride to be the victor, not for some long-dead lions. "At least, I was going to until you dragged me to see the King."

"Yeah..." Kion said. "He just doesn't like anything to do with Scar."

The lioness shrugged. "Well, you could put an end to that. Your sister's going to be the next Queen and if you come..."

"My sister? You want me to convince Kiara to let the Outlanders back in?"

That made Vitani go quiet. She hadn't expected Kion to assume that at all. But before she could come up with a response, the sound of somebody stepping on a branch caught both of the lions' attention and they simultaneously turned their heads towards the noise.

Kovu gulped, having been in the middle of sneaking from one hiding place to another. "Kovu?!" Vitani snarled. "Brother, what are you doing here?"

"What, are you the only one allowed to see your friends?" Kovu asked angrily. Vitani shook her head, confused. "Friends?"

"Yeah. If you have to know, I followed you here to try and find Kiara. She's my friend!"

Kion's jaw dropped. "Your friend? You mean my sister - who never stops talking about what a great Queen she's going to be, who nags on and on about Pride Land rules as if I didn't know, who's always right about everything every _single_ time because she's so grown up... is friends with a so-called 'outcast ruffian'?"

"Is that okay?" Kovu turned instinctively timid, still remembering the scuffle he'd had with the older lion prince a few days ago.

Kion laughed. "You have no idea. Hey, Vitani, I have an idea! Why don't we go see how my uptight sister deals with notorious Outsiders?" _For once, I'll be right and my dad will be wrong._ He wasn't really sure how much he could trust the Outsiders outside of Vitani, but one thing's for sure - Kiara didn't know anything about them. She had never been amongst their pride like he had, so she was taking an awful risk being friends with Kovu.  
And Kion desperately needed his dad to realise that, to know that he was right and they were both wrong. Simba was wrong for not trusting his judgment and Kiara was a hypocrite. And then he'd never be ignored again as if he wasn't the leader of the Lion Guard at all.

"You mean to set a trap for Kiara?" Vitani asked, sensing Kion's thoughts.

Kovu looked aghast. "No! I'm not gonna let you do that!"

Vitani snapped back at him: "Oh really? Then let's go home and explain to mother where her precious prince has been all day! She's probably halfway to Simba's by now to get you back. The only way you can even remotely make up for this is if you help me."

"... alright." Kovu submitted.

"Great!" Kion said cheerfully. "I feel like a bad guy already!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _2017 isn't off to the greatest of starts, is it?_

 _*Faith - Well, considering that Kion is a male, him having a mane and looking slightly older isn't that big of a stretch. I would honestly prefer it if they did a sequel to Lion King 2, but since it's not nearly as well remembered as the first film, I get why they didn't. Honestly, I'm still shocked that "Lions Of The Outlands" even happened._

 _*Korrasami 88 - He is, Zira wants Kion for other reasons. You'll see what I mean with the description later on._

 _*LunarWolf0 - Probably the most popular pairing in the show so far... I kind of wish the show would throw shippers a bone every once in a while. I get that it's for kids, but MLP gets away with it. The characters can be a little too stuffy and underdeveloped sometimes._

 _*STR2D3PO - Nobody can piss people off quite like Tiifu and Zuri. That's what makes them great._

 _*ChaseIsMyRescueBot - Yes, yes, yes, YES!_

 _*Flyg0n - Ugh, don't get me started on Bunga. He's grown on me quite a bit(especially in the later episodes, where his nonsense gets toned down), but I still don't see the point of him on the show. Timon and Pumbaa still do the comic relief much better(or they would, if they were written the way they used to be). Or Beshte, he's really funny and also doesn't have an ego the size of Mount Everest._  
 _I tried to elaborate on Kion's frustrations in this chapter. He mostly sticks with Zira, because she treats him as an equal. And yeah, I know Jasiri does too, but Zira is both an adult and a lion(heck, she's even older than Simba), and Kion sees her as a figure of authority. Plus, now that Simba has very clearly told him that he's completely wrong, he's rebelling as well._

 _*werewolf dj - Not there yet..._

 _*Gracekim1 - The ending of LOTL was simply a continuity error. It's annoying, yes, but mistakes happen. And yeah, I agree with most of your gripes about the show. Vitani wasn't really a big character in LK 2 anyway, so her minor involvement in LOTR isn't a betrayal as such, but it is surprising that they didn't notice her popularity in the fandom(plus, she's one of the few lioness cubs of Kion's age, so you'd think there would be at least some chemistry there). Oh well. I can't agree about the villains, though. Janja and Reirei are two of my favourite characters ever._

 _*Guest - What about this one?_


	7. Chapter 7

As an unsuspecting Kiara approached the grove where she and Kovu had agreed to meet, the latter nervously waited behind a small ridge with Kion and Vitani on each side.

"What are you gonna do?" he whispered to them. Kion and Vitani both looked at each other over Kovu's head and smirked conspiratorially. Together, they pressed paws onto Kovu's back and pushed him over the ridge, where he clumsily rolled down right in front of Kiara.

The princess ran to her friend and helped him up. "Hey! Are you okay?"

Kovu coughed out the dust in his throat. Vitani's warning ringed in his mind. "Yeah... it's great to see you again." he said honestly, smiling.

Kiara hugged the lion cub firmly, causing him to tense up. The only close physical contact he knew about was wrestling. Kiara sensed Kovu was uncomfortable and pulled away awkwardly. "What are you doing?" Kovu asked.

"I was giving you a hug. I thought you'd need it. Living in the Outlands must be horrible."

Kovu frowned. "A hug? What's that?"

"Um..." Kiara had never had to define a hug before. "It's... when you want to make someone feel better, so you show you're there for them."

Kovu didn't entirely grasp the concept. "I know you're there. You're standing in front of me."

Kiara laughed. "That's not what I meant. Here, let me try again." She wrapped her paws around Kovu's neck one more. "Now how do you feel?"

"A lot better." Kovu admitted. This 'hug' thing did improve his sour mood, even though he knew Kion and Vitani were going to break up the moment any moment now. "Am I supposed to hug you too?"

"If you want to."

And so he did.

* * *

As the two of them held each other tight for reasons they could not yet decipher, Kion stood on the cliff above them before walking away, with a deep frown on his face. Vitani followed him.

"What are you doing?" the lioness snapped at him, irritated by the change in plan.

Kion shook his head. "I can't do it. I don't want to do it. Kiara and I have our disagreements, but she's still my sister and I'm not going to hurt her!"  
He'd never really seen his sister as genuinely happy and unabrasive as she was today, down there with Kovu. It broke through the wall of bitterness he'd built up lately around his heart.

"This is your _only_ chance to assert your superiority over her, and your father!" Vitani insisted. "You were happy there, in the Outlands, with us! They didn't care! Why do you care if she likes Kovu?"

"I..." Kion couldn't really come up with an answer.

Vitani moved closer to Kion. "You said your sister has no clue what us Outsiders are like! Go to her now and later she'll realise how stupid she was to get involved with one without knowing what you know now! And think of what happens when your dad finds out the truth, that you had to save his daft little princess from becoming the bride of an Outsider!"

A faint smile slowly formed on Kion's lips. "Well, if it's for the benefit of the kingdom, I guess I'm obligated to do a little hurting." He sighed melodramatically and turned around again, with Vitani trailing him.

* * *

By that point, Kovu and Kiara had let each other go. "Come on! I can't wait to show you my secret place! It's..."

"KIARA!" Kion shouted from on top of the cliff. Kovu drew away from her with a guilty look. Kiara raised her eyebrow. "Kion? Wha-what are you doing here? And why is _she_ still here?!" She gave Vitani a poisonous look.

"Why is he?" Kion pointed at Kiara. "You're quick to point out other people's flaws, Kiara, but I bet dad doesn't know you're dating... mini-Scar over there!"

Kiara scowled. "That's out of line and you know it! Kovu saved my life! You, on the other hand, ditched Jasiri when she needed you the most! Not to mention the fact you're supposed to be at home until dad says otherwise!"

That destroyed any goodwill Kion had for Kiara and he began to see red. "I am the leader of the Lion Guard! What-"

"You _were_ the leader of the Lion Guard." Kiara taunted him. "Dad's thinking maybe he was wrong. Maybe you're just a little too _immature_ right now. I can't say I disagree."

Kion extended his claws and gripped the rock he was standing on. In one brief moment, his entire life flashed in front of his eyes: his fondness for the simple life of the Outsiders, the praise he got from both Zira and Vitani, all the times he saved the herds, Jasiri's heartbroken look as he made his choice, playing baobab with Bunga to his sister's irritation, Simba's admonishment as he chose the members of the Guard and his promise to be nothing like Scar.

He felt a rumble in his throat, the cry of a thousand lions trying to right the wrongs and clenched his teeth shut in fear of himself. At that exact moment, however, Vitani entwined her tail with his, filling Kion with glee and a thirst to prove himself once and for all.

He roared.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Christ, it's been a while, hasn't it? Unfortunately, I can't really say I'm back for good at all, since I'm heading off to the army in a few months, at which point I won't be able to write for a year. To rectify that, I've decided to split this story into two(there was going to be a natural skip ahead in time anyway, so it all works out) and finish the second half once I'm finally back and hopefully filled with new ideas and motivation. Right now I'm kind of burned out on writing. Still, there's a few more chapters to go, so no worries(and it's gonna be a cool cliffhanger, I can promise you that)!_

 _*LunarWolf0 - THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAAAAAR._

 _*Faith - Oh yes, Kion's definitely reached his breaking point..._

 _*CandyLuv99 - I'm sure everyone have their own reasons for voting._

 _*Revan Alek Shan - Who doesn't? Shame they haven't had any so far in the show._

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - *Maybe*_

 _*TiifuxKion FAN - There's no way to be certain until I get there with the writing._

 _*travass99 - It's something the show has touched on as well, so I hope maybe we'll see it in season 2 or the series finale to explain where Kion is in LK 2._

 _*Lulu - Better late than never, right?_

 _*Gracekim1 - Reirei isn't a cub, but otherwise you're right. I wouldn't say Kion is overpowered, there are times when using the Roar is too dangerous._

 _*EliteGuard - Yeah, but that won't be season 2... season 2 will air in autumn._

 _*nightmaster000 - Great review_


	8. Chapter 8

Ono glided through the sky, comfortably resting on the wind blowing in his feathers. It was a fine day for a patrol, not too sunny, not too soggy. And not a single thing out of order in the Pride Lands. He needed more days like this. It was such a nice day, even Janja and his hyenas appeared to be taking a break. Though his piercing eyes still grazed the ground, his thoughts began to slip away towards his plans for the evening, a liaison with a lady friend... in fact there was one flying through the sky right now... but that one didn't have wings!

"Kiara?!" Ono shrieked in panic and shot down towards the falling cub like an arrow, until getting close enough to latch his claws onto her back. Kiara was far too heavy for him to carry, but his flapping wings at least slowed their descent and the two harmlessly flopped onto a field of grey, dry grass with nothing, but a few gnarly trees nearby.

For about ten seconds, both of them could do nothing, but pant. Meanwhile, two other cubs found them. Kion, and the snippy Outlander. "Good job, Ono! You can definitely skip training this month." Kion quipped.

"You're... insane!" Kiara gasped, and unsheathed her claws as Kion and Vitani approached her.

Kion shrugged. "I prefer to call it 'taking control of my life'. And from now on, we're gonna do things differently. Tani?"

Vitani smiled darkly and in an incredibly fast motion, ducked away from the princess's awkward, untrained defensive motions, leapt up and landed on Kiara's head with her forelegs, causing her to painfully hit the ground. Then, the ruffian painfully pulled the princess up by her ear. She yelped in pain as Vitani's claws digged into her tender earlobe. "What have you got to say to your brother, little lady?" Vitani cackled.

"Ow-OW-OW-OW-ow... Kion, please..." The pain was unbearable, but Kiara's weak attempts to swat at Vitani only made things worse. The lion prince watched with mild amusement.

"Kion, tell her to let go!" Ono shouted and began flapping his wings in Kion's face to earn his friend's attention. Kion, without looking away from the action before him, grabbed Ono from mid-air and pushed him onto the ground, silencing the struggling egret underneath his paws.

Meanwhile, Vitani began to lose her patience. "Say sorry!" she commanded, and twisted Kiara's ear. The latter actually screamed at that. "Kiara..." Vitani warned her.

"I'M SORRY!" Kiara began to cry. Vitani merely rolled her eyes and let go of her ear. "Ugh. Pridelanders." she muttered in disgust as the princess fled. Her eyes then stopped on the struggling bird underneath Kion's paws. "Is that lunch?"

Kion mockingly shrugged. "I don't know. Let's ask him." He moved his paw away from Ono's beak, allowing him to sputter and then squawk: "PLEASE LET ME GO!"

"Sounds like lunch to me." Vitani licked her lips.

"Well, if you think so, go and get him." Kion said and threw Ono in the air for Vitani to catch. However, the egret was too experienced for her and narrowly managed to avoid the lioness's jaws and fly off. Vitani turned back to Kion. "You know you're in trouble now, right?"

"Oh no. _They_ are in trouble."

* * *

"FULI! FULIIII!" Ono screeched and crashlanded onto Beshte's back, having finally found the remaining Lion Guard members near the the waterhole.

"Ono? What happened to you?!" Fuli asked, shocked.

Ono tried to get back his breath. "It's Kion!... He's gone insane! He and that Outsider cub were just torturing Kiara! I swear, Im not making this up!"

"I can't believe Kion would do something like that!" Beshte exclaimed worriedly. "He wouldn't!" Bunga added. "You sure you didn't fly into another bird again?"

Fuli scowled. "I believe you, Ono. It seems there's no limit to what Zira's brat can do with him!" She thumped her paw against the ground to emphasise her point. "We've got to separate them now, and then talk some sense into Kion! Ono, are you able to stand?"

"Eh... just about." Ono said and rose up on his shaking legs.

"Good, because I need you to tell Simba what's happened. Bunga, you're his oldest friend, I need you to cut the jokes and focus on this... alright?!"  
Bunga froze, having been stuffing his face with insects. "Hmm?"

Fuli rolled his eyes. "On second thought, have lunch. He'd probably kill us all if you were there."

Bunga patted his stomach appreciatively. "No problemo!"

* * *

"Um, Fuli?" Ono asked as the Guard headed towards the grazing grounds for the many herds who lived in the Pride Lands.

"Yes?"

"We're not heading towards Kion and Vitani."

Fuli turned her around. "I told you, we need to separate the two. And the only way we're gonna do that without Kion freaking out is by sending Vitani on wild goose chase."

Beshte raised his eyebrow. "Isn't she much faster than the geese?"

"True, but I'm sure somewhere out there there's a kind-hearted animal who can take the risk of becoming mince-meat. Oh hi, Thurston!"

The proud zebra approached the Guard with his usual aristocratic expression. "Why hello there, Lion Guard! I'm glad to see you enjoying the beautiful sun and appreciating the tranquility of the day for once, instead of fussing about like a pack of crazed predators."

"Oh, indeed!" Fuli fawned. "How dare anyone imagine that cheetahs or lions go about hunting for prey!? What peasant way of thinking! ANYWAY... how would you feel about a... uh... party... celebrated in your honor?"  
"A PARTY?! IN MY HONOR?! Oh, what a day, what a day! You're telling me now? Oh, I must prepare, I must... panic and run! Panic and run!"

Fuli grabbed ahold of Thurston before he could run away. "Oh no, you don't! People are expecting and you're a leader! Get a grip!"

Thurston immediately straightened up and kicked Fuli off of him. "Well, why didn't you just say so! Some people's manners..." he said and began trotting away.  
"THAT WAY!" Fuli shouted and pointed in the opposite direction.

"I know that! I was just... stretching my legs, that's all! A perfectly natural zebra thing... to do!" Thurston said and followed Beshte towards his supposed party.

Fuli groaned. "I don't even remember who I'm rooting for, him or Vitani." she muttered through her teeth.


	9. Chapter 9

Vitani sniffed the air, catching a scent.

"Tani? What is it?" Kion asked.

"What, you can't smell that? Zebra, a thick one!" Her mouth began to water. "Seeing as you're in charge here, you don't mind if I have a snack, do you?"

Kion snorted. "There's always going to be another one asking me for something the next day. Go fill up. But hey..." he stepped closer and nuzzled her cheek to Vitani's surprise. "Stay out of sight until I clear things up."

"Don't do that." Vitani mumbled. "We're not supposed to like one another. Predators like nothing." Her mother always said that love was the fatal flaw of the Pridelanders, they just got too attached to focus. She'd make sure Kion didn't fall into it.

"What's the point of anything then? Vitani, I get it, you're a survivor, but you have to survive for something, don't you?"

Vitani snorted. "For my pride. But I don't have to like them. They're my family, we help each other out, that's just the way it is."

"I guess I have to teach you a few things too." Kion remarked. However, the conversation had distracted them both and they hadn't noticed Thurston the zebra slowly making his way towards them. "Why, hello there!" the leader loudly said. "You wouldn't, per chance, know where my party was, would you?"

Kion and Vitani looked at one another and turned back to Thurston. "Sure, Thurston. We'll take you to your party." Kion said.

* * *

Ono sighed and dashed back to the Lion Guard. It was fortunate that he had been blessed with such eyesight, as it allowed him to stay far enough so that even a hungry Outsider couldn't smell him.

"It's not good, Fuli!" he said. "They're still together, with Thurston."

The cheetah groaned. "Great, now we have to rescue him and deal with those two at the same time. Who came up with this plan anyway?"

"You did, Fuli." Beshte pointed out.

"I think that was a rhetorical question." Ono said in an apologetic tone.

Fuli motioned for the Lion Guard to follow him silently as they pursued Thurston by his tracks.

* * *

Kion and Vitani led Thurston to an empty clearing before a sharp cliff, which led to nothing, but empty air. "I say! There doesn't seem to be any party here. You must be mistaken."

Vitani chuckled. "We're not mistaken." She moved in front of Thurston, making him stop in a huff.

"Please, get out of the way. This is no way to treat-"

"-prey?" Kion finished.

Thurston's eyes began to bulge as he recognised the look of a hungry predator in Vitani. He began to back away towards the cliff as Vitani extended her claws and slinked closer. "Kion, as leader of the Lion Guard, I believe it's your duty to contain any and all threats to the herds likerightNOW!" The zebra rambled, one of his feet going over the edge.

"Gah! I could've fallen! Kion!" he pleaded.

Kion's mouth widened in a friendly smile. "I'm hungry too, Thurston. It's the end of the road... literally."

"Ahh! Panic and run! PANIC AND RUN!" Thurston tried to leap over their heads, but the two cubs had been expecting it. They couldn't have attacked Thurston on the cliff anyway for fear of falling over, so this was the perfect oppurtunity. As he landed on his hooves, they pounced onto his back and bit into his neck, causing Thurston to fall over in pain, screaming. Kion quickly put an end to that by neatly cutting through the zebra's larynx with one razor-sharp claw.

Vitani was almost about to tuck in, but stopped. "We should find a way to get this carcass to the Outlands. There's enough meat on him to feed our- I mean, my pride for a month."

"Well, I don't see how you're gonna move him without getting the entire Pride Lands on our backs." Kion countered. "Besides, it's not like they depend on you to survive. Eat up. That's an order."

Gratified, Vitani took a large bite out of Thurston's shoulder. Suddenly, a loud shriek pierced the air. The Lion Guard emerged, horrified to the core at the sight. The screamer had been Fuli, who was actually shivering in a mixture of revulsion, dread and fury.

Kion spat a little bit of zebra blood out of his mouth and faced his subordinates. "Hold up, hold up, this is _not_ a buffet!" He joked. "Finders keepers, as they say."

"Kion." Fuli whispered. "Please, this isn't you. You're not a murderer, you can't be."

"No, I'm not. I'm a _hunter_. You of all people should understand that. After all, you love taking down animals all alone. Do they ask for mercy, or do you pick 'em off like berries?"

Fuli avoided his blazing amber eyes, once soft and inviting, now feverish and malignant.

Beshte tried to reason with him. "Just come with us to Pride Rock. That's all we ask. You're still our friend, aren't you?"

"That's why I'm keeping you around, isn't it?" Kion mockingly asked. "All you ask! You're asking me to betray everything that I've come to believe simply because my daddy thinks he knows better." He shrugged. "But that's what you get for following the ghost of a lion who couldn't tell his brother from his foes."

The insult to Mufasa was their final straw. Fuli crouche down and scowled. "Kion, we're not mucking around. It's the Lion Guard's duty to protect the Pride Lands, from its own members if necessary. You _are_ coming with us, whether you want to or not."

Vitani dived in between them. "Touch him and I'll snap your bird neck." she snarled.

Kion's smug attitude dissipated. "If any of you touch _her_ , I won't be responsible for my actions. You know what I'm capable of!"

"Kion!" Ono gasped.

"That's right. The Roar."

Beshte just shook his head. "No, Kion. I know you're very upset with your father for making the decision about the waterhole for you, and with us for supporting him, but you're still the leader of the Lion Guard. I don't believe for one second that you could use the Roar on us. Let's go home, all of us. I'm sure we could explain this to your father... even Thurston, maybe. Come on!"

Kion wavered. Beshte was indeed one of his oldest friends and his faith remained unshakable. It touched Kion to the core.

"AAARGH!" Vitani screamed as a pesky honey badger attached himself to her face.

"Don't worry guys, I got this rascal covered." Bunga gave everyone a thumbs-up. Kion's face contorted into a scowl again.

" **ENOUGH!** " he roared, sending everyone, except Vitani flying towards a large, mossy pile of boulders. Ono was pierced by a sharp end, immediately killing him. Beshte's skull hit the rocks with a gutwrenching crack, and he crushed Fuli underneath his body and a rubble. Only a red puddle emerged from underneath. As for Bunga, he slammed into an edge, tearing his little body in two.

Kion and Vitani both simply stared as the meat flopped sadly to the ground. Then the former began to howl in terror.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _I do apologise, it seems I forgot to respond to your reviews the last time around!_

 _*FanficFan920 - To say the least._

 _*travass99(Chapter 7) - I hope the show makes Kion a bit more independent, since his extreme loyalty almost seems a bit out of character._

 _*Gracekim1(Chapter 7) - I'd love to collab with you. I haven't done it before, so it'd be something new as a writer. But it couldn't be on a large project, as I'll be going on a year-long break in a few weeks._

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - Working on it._

 _*STR2D3PO - The show resolved it a little more nicely in the Udugu episode._

 _*LunarWolf0 - That would be reserved for a sequel to this that I'm planning._

 _*TiifuxKion FAN - Sorry to hold you up so long._

 _*Faith - Indeed he is..._

 _*moanafan - Nasty, to say the least..._

 _*ArizonaSivy - Davy Jones was an awesome villain. Shame they brought him back though, that's just weird._

 _*travass99(Chapter 8) - Now you find out._

 _*Cyonix - That's very nice to hear, I hope the character development is organic._

 _*BuckJohnson - I totally agree with you. Really hoping that the writers take some cues from the fans and turn Vitani into a more important character, because she is extremely popular in the fandom._

 _*Gracekim1(Chapter 8) - Aren't we all... :D_


	10. Chapter 10

Vitami thought herself to be a fairly tough little lioness(especially when compared to her siblings), but even so, trying to contain a maddened, devastated lion prince was proving to be difficult.

"Kion! It's gonna be okay, listen to me! You can't help them." She yelled as Kion fought against her grasp, completely breaking down.

"Let me go! They're hurt! Get Rafiki!" He insisted, his old caring nature resurfacing in crisis. Vitani merely slapped him in the face.

"No stupid monkey can bring the dead back to life. We gotta get outta here before we get caught. Before your dad finds out!"

Kion gulped, tears flowing down his face. "I have to stay. I have to tell him what happened. I'm not a coward like Scar, I-... I was just trying to protect you! They just got too zealous, that's it. They couldn't see things our way so... so..."

"So you pushed them out of the way." Vitani finished. Kion flopped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Kion, it's now or never. You stay here, your dad's gonna cut your throat."

"No." Kion mumbled. "I... he..."

But Vitani was already running, leaving Kion alone with death. The lion slowly edged towards the unmoving bodies of his old friends.

"I gotta go now." He said, looking at Fuli's unblemished paw still peeking out from underneath Beshte's mass. "She's right. She's always right. If I stay here, they'll burn me like they did Scar." His overheating brain began to imagine Scar in the canyon after Mufasa's death. Was there anyone who really understood the younger brother? He must've had his own justification towards ending the lion king's life. He must've been just as scared as Kion felt now.

"I'll miss you all." Kion mumbled. It felt like all of his words were insignificant, and just flopped to the ground as dead as his friends. So he turned his back on them and ran.

* * *

Arriving in the Outlands behind Vitani, Kion felt tense. It seemed as if news of his actions had already reached the lionesses before them. The vultures, no doubt. Trembling with fear, Kion followed his girlfriend into the main den/anthill. There, Zira stood amidst her followers, having conjured a compassionate look on her face. She extended an offering arm. "Kion..." Zira said.

Without words, Kion hugged the older lioness as hard as he could, trying to squeeze the awfulness out of himself.

"There, there." Zira crooned somewhat awkwardly.

"I... I... it just happened, I was protecting Vitani and... they were gonna hurt her, they pushed me, they'd gone too far... the Roar took over, I didn't mean to kill them."

Zira nodded knowingly. "Oh child. No one ever means for these things to happen." Her tone became gradually sharper. "But the Guard is dead. And if it weren't for you, they'd still be alive. Your father will only be looking at these cold, hard facts. Just like your grandfather."

Kion tried to regain his breath and moved away from Zira. "What do I do?"

"Oh..." Zira pretended to think. "It would be for the best if you stayed right here. Safe, with friends. I will talk with your father and we'll see what happens. But whatever happens, do not run away. You have nothing to fear from us." She pulled Kion back into a hug. "Hakuna matata, right?"

"... right. But..."

Zira interjected harshly. "No buts!" She turned towards Vitani. "Keep him here until I return!"

* * *

The evil lioness grinned as she saw Simba and his lionesses approach, appearing stoic and restrained, but obviously torn apart inside.

 _This is perfection._ Zira thought. Scar's blood clearly flowed through Kion's veins. With his Roar, he would be an excellent addition to Kovu's troops one day. And the ultimate expression of the true King's victory over the usuper Simba.

"Zira." Simba growled.

"Simba! To what do I owe this... pleasure?" Zira asked with amusement.

The Queen answered her question curtly: "You've taken our son. We're here to get him back."

"Taken your son? Now, that's a wild accusation if ever I heard one. Kion _chose_ to join our community. I wonder what made him run away, poor parenting per chance?"

Simba unsheathed his claws. "Do you take us for fools? We know you sent your spawn to cloud Kion's mind. You've been taking advantage of him ever since you two first met in the Outlands."

"Oh yes... when Kion chose to abandon those filthy hyenas in favor of us. A decision that even his closest friends could admit was his and his alone... if only they were still alive." Zira shrugged. "You've seen his handiwork by now. Do you really think someone can come back from that? Even as we speak, Kion is licking the blood of his friends, savoring the taste... itching for the oppurtunity to strike again, but for real this time, claw through skin, teeth through flesh... family through family..." she chuckled darkly.

"That will not happen." Nala said firmly. "Kion is our son..."

"And Scar was the brother of your greatest king! If Mufasa couldn't bring his own kin back from the dark, what chance do you have? And there's something else: his Roar is gone."

Simba gasped. "What?!"

"Kion's shoulder is bare, I tell you! The Kings have abandoned his spirit. Will you fight against their judgment as well?"

For the first time, the lion king looked beaten. "Then my son is truly lost."

* * *

As Kion and Vitani rested in the shade of the anthill, underneath the old tree stump reserved for Kovu, the former poked the latter.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Just checking." The lion cub said with a forlorn look. "That you're still alive."

Vitani shook her head confusedly. "Can't you see with your own eyes?"

"It's not good enough." Kion said, and hugged her. Trying to be tactful for once, she patted him on the back. "Please tell me when I can stop." Vitani quipped, making the lion cub laugh again. "How does never sound?"

"Kion..." Vitani breathed in. "I don't understand this. I get that you're hurt, but they're lost. We Outsiders move on and focus on the living. And we don't do this... hugging thing all the time."

"Neither do we. Only to those we really really like."

Vitani sighed. "Well, I, uh... appreciate that..." Kion kissed her.

It was a slow, tender kiss that lasted for a while until finally Vitani stopped to ask: "What is that?"

"That is love. You're all I've got left, Tani. The only person I can ever like again. All my love to you... I promise." Kion admitted. "Be with me."

Vitani's lip quivered. "I've never liked anyone. Not my brothers, certainly not mother... if I have any... love... to give, it's yours. I promise."

* * *

Zira strolled into the den. She'd never been an artistic person, but right now, she could've danced of joy. However, this moment required another ability: acting. She called Kion to him, forcing out compassionate, sad tones.

"I'm here, Zira. What happened?" Kion said, with Vitani conspicuously beside him. Zira's eyes briefly flicked to her daughter before focusing on Kion.

"I'm afraid the negotiations with Simba were rather short. He is convinced that the spirit of Scar lives on in you and promised that if any of us step on his land again... we won't leave it alive."

Kion gawped. "But... how are we going to get food... and water? He can't do that!"

One of Zira's lieutenants snarled. "He can and will. All he's ever cared about is following his father."

Zira nodded. "I'm afraid it's true. Simba, like his father before him, is obsessed with reaching an ideal that no true animal, no predator could ever truly live up to. Scar knew it and died trying to bring a bit of chaos and freedom back. Now we're doomed to follow in his footsteps." She lowered her head, seemingly defeated... all part of the play.

Fury began to rise in Kion again. With his Roar gone, all that he felt was resentment towards his ancestors. "No! I won't let that happen!" He moved in front of the crowd. "We already have the water hole from the hyenas, that's just the first step! We'll get more from them, the meat from their bones if necessary! We'll gather strength and then we will go back to the Pride Lands and stand up for ourselves... and finish what Scar began."

"Say it again!" Zira hissed in glee.

"I will finish what Scar started!" Kion declared.

"AGAIN!" Zira roared. "WHO IS THE KING?!"

"SCAAARR!" Kion yelled, and then they all joined in. "SCAR! SCAR! SCAR! SCAR!..."

 **TO BE CONTINUED IN "LIONS OVER ALL 2: KION'S PRIDE"**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _How've y'all been? Me, I've had the most exercise I've ever had in my life these past two months. And only nine more to go before my service is over. Anyway, time to answer a record-setting 22 reviews!_

 _*Guest - You guessed it!_

 _*Leafeon12 - Hope it was worth the wait, tell me more!_

 _*Cyonix - Harsh, I know... but fury is like that._

 _*moanafan - Well, technically I guess..._

 _*Fanfic920 - Is that a criticism or a compliment?_

 _*STR2D3PO - Oh, yes..._

 _*Revan Alek Shan - Mwahahaa..._

 _*Guest - Afraid not..._

 _*Gracekim1 - I guess that minicollab isn't happening for the time being, but I'm sure we can arrange something once I'm back from the army..._

 _*LunarWolf0 - It's going to be an adaptation of LK 2._

 _*The Open Writer - I might answer some of those questions in the sequel._

 _*Faith - Hardly..._

 _*All Hail King Scar - Fuli was pretty sweet..._

 _*dale . cameronii . 9 - That's all you ever say._

 _*CandyLove99 - Agreed, loved the Udugu episode because of this._

 _*Tg1210 - And so are you._

 _*Guest - That's kind of the point..._

 _*Kijani - I wasn't trying to make you hate Kiara. It's a tragedy. And yeah, it took me a while to swallow the superpowers thing too._

 _*Dimas - Not a bad idea, but I don't need Fuli for the next story. Great review, I appreciate the elaborate ones!_

 _*Guest - The result of too many horror movies, I guess. But these are fanfics, not TV and I don't see the point of restraint here._

 _*redwalllover28 - Well, I won't see it for a while, but I'll try to answer._

 _1) Probably off on errands. Or dead._

 _2) Zira might eat him on the spot._

 _3) Trying to hide the fact, maybe? Also, he wasn't there, he might not know the truth._

 _4) Cool._

 _*spyrofan34 - Done._


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